California, The man who beat Monsanto

Monsanto is fighting against the order to pay Dewayne Johnson $289m JOSH EDELSON/AP

A jury ruled the company caused Dewayne Johnson’s cancer. He wants to make a difference – while he can

Dewayne Johnson tries not to think about dying. Doctors have said the 46 year-old cancer patient could have months to live, but he doesn’t like to dwell on death. These days, he has an easy distraction – navigating the international attention on his life.

The father of three and former groundskeeper has been learning to live with the gift and burden of being in the spotlight in the month since a California jury ruled that Monsanto caused his terminal cancer. The historic verdict against the agrochemical corporation, which included an award of $289m, has ignited widespread concerns about the world’s most popular weedkiller and prompted regulatory debates across the globe.

Johnson, who never imagined he would be known as “dying man” in dozens of news headlines, is still processing the historic wi...